The Invisible Walls

There are days that I wake up, sit myself up against my wall and spend some time watching my salamander explore his cage. After a few minutes I feel some sort of connection with Zenna. I begin to sympathize with her, yet she’s just a salamander… In fact, some of you might say that she is better off in that cage than being out in the wild. I beg to differ.

I’ll admit that she has cleaner water, more food availability, absolutely no predators, and plenty of space to roam around. Yet, her life is completely in the hands of someone other than her own. Her freedom is gone. Her life confined by four invisible walls. Maybe she has everything she wants, but without the freedom to do what she wants, her life is left uncompleted.

Now, I realize she is just a salamander. These feelings that I receive, transcendent of her, don’t even cross her mind. Yet, they are still produced. Why would I feel this way when I have given her everything she has ever needed? In the brief time that I sit, watching her clime the falls or hide away in her rock cave, It becomes clear that these feelings are none but my own.

Sometimes I feel that even though I have everything I need at the moment, my life is incomplete; in other words, my life is not my own. We live in a world surrounded by these invisible walls, whether they are social or personal. They ultimately have control over our thoughts and actions and even determine the fate of our lives. So how do we gain control of our life? How do we break these walls and free ourselves to be who we really are? This question can only be answered by you and no one else.

I believe we all need to look deep inside ourselves to find what is real and what is not. We must not fear the abstract or obscure. We must be free to express our feelings and emotions eve against other’s disapproval.

Zenna may only be a salamander, but I see the angst with every press against those walls. With every push I see life making way for improvement and betterment. We can learn a lot from all of nature’s wonders, but only if we are willing.

Jordy 

The Balance

No one ever sees themselves as the "bad guy". We allow ourselves to think that we are in the right because we understand why we made certain choices with our lives, but that's not necessarily the truth. It is crucial to be honest with yourself, to learn from certain experiences instead of just blocking them out or pushing them out of your mind. You need to be real with yourself and everyone around you. That is the only way you can really grow as an individual. If you want to better yourself, you have to know your flaws. No one knows you as well as you know you! With that said, I am currently trying to find the wrongs I've committed in my life. "What man is a man who does not make the world better?"  We must take this responsibility seriously. Our lives are much greater than we can understand. We can't comprehend the impact we have on our planet, our homes, or each other. Have respect for that ignorance. We are all going to make mistakes, hurt the ones we love, and be ashamed of certain choices, but that by no bounds means that you should give up. There are very few exceptions when it comes to quitting. As a society we have gotten so used to being able to quit something we don't like or something that is too difficult. One of my favorite quotes says; "If I was dropped out a plane, into the ocean and told the nearest land was 1,000 miles away, I'd still swim. And I would despise the man that gave up." To me, that quote says it all. For the majority of us, our lives are no longer about survival. If we lose our jobs, our families, our homes, we are still alive. It isn't about life or death for us. Which is why I encourage all of you to act as if your life depends on your choices. We have all heard the famous quote; "Live today as if there was no tomorrow." But the majority of us have no idea what that truly means because we don't appreciate our lives in that way. I mean, be real with yourself, how often do you wake up smiling just because you woke up? Just because it's a new day with unlimited potential? We don't. We wake up dreading going to work, wanting to sleep more, hating our alarm clocks and it's pathetic. Don't allow yourself to be so weak. When you are faced with a challenge, fight it! It's an obstacle that you're going to learn from. Hardships can be a beautiful thing with the right attitude. Throughout my entire life I felt like a zombie. I was just going through the motions of my life because it was just repetition, repetition, repetition. I made it that way not knowing there was a different path. Hopefully this opens your eyes a little more because I can guarantee that a small group of you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not saying I wake up every morning jumping for joy now, everyone has their off days. But I am damn happy to be alive. My energy, my attitude, is an explosion of happiness. I choose to be happy because I now know how to. I would love it if you could just read this article and immediately feel happy, but it doesn't work that way. I am so happy now because I was so miserable for the past few years. I have found the balance in my life. But I paid a heavy price to feel this way. Through unhealthy relationships, mental breakdowns, and a feeling of loneliness that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy, I have come to find myself. A large part of me has died and been reborn through the ashes. Through understanding your life, loving who you are, you will find that being happy is quite easy. Just be willing to fight for your happiness. Be willing to endure pain for glory. You all have the ability to share, spread and create love. So choose to be the person you know you can be! I have faith in every one of you and I wish you all luck on your journey. 


- Ace

The Information Age

Do you remember when computers were first being put in homes? Do you remember when you got your first cell phone? In June of 2010 it was estimated that there are now 292.8 million wireless cell phone subscriptions, just in the U.S. There is also over 1 billion active facebook users online as well (although we must account for fake accounts as well). We are living in a time where technology is completely immersed in our way of life. We have made technology our tools for work, school, entertainment, socializing and even fighting. We use technology to communicate, to clean, to see and to share ideas. There is no denying that we live in a technological era.

With this quick-paced change in our society, we must also adapt fairly quickly. It seems like a large number of problems have arisen from this change—such as hyperactive disorders, obesity, asocial behavior, technological dependence. So how do we combat such a large and gripping change? Like we always have. As humans we have to think critically for ourselves and for others. We have to look at the reality of what things are and think: is this necessary? How many times have I been on Facebook today? Why do I keep checking my phone? Is this really who this person is? Is any of this important to me? These are just a few questions that I have personally asked myself and have realized how subconsciously I am attached to these social sites or entertainment sites.

A possible obstacle we might face is staying attached to our roots. As intelligent and advance as a civilization we might be, we are still organisms. We are a part of an ecosystem and we to make sure our actions won’t artificially influence this ecosystem. Another obstacle we might face is that of being technologically dependent. We have already begun to rely on technology heavily. So what can we do to keep this, just like any other aspect of our life, in balance?

Just some quick ideas I thought of was the very simplistic and beautiful art of gardening. Let’s plant trees! The world can always use more trees and there are a bunch of different kinds out there that will fit your living conditions. Riding bikes is a past time and shouldn’t be forgotten. It’s not painstakingly challenging and it’s a good way to workout. Go on a hike, read a REAL book, build something, strike up a conversation with a stranger. There are so many ways we can keep in touch with our true selves and all it takes is a little effort.

I hope you enjoyed this piece and would love some feedback. I would also love to hear your ideas about ways we can stay connected and keep a technological balance in our lives. As always take it easy and feel free to speak to me or Adam at any time!

Peace,

Jordy

What Should I Believe?

Something I commonly get asked is, what do you believe in? Although I know they are talking about religion, I really just want to bombard them with all my morals and values. I feel like this question is a double-edged sword. They seem interested and want to know more about who I am, but my answer could totally be the defining moment in our relationship, whether it bonds us for life or keeps us at an arms distance. I feel like there is a lot of pressure on people to choose a religion or a faith and stick with it or be shunned by your community, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

I was born and raised in a Right-winged, conservative, republican, Christian home. I went to church every Sunday and would go out to eat with my family afterwards. I remember the day when I realized, “Christianity is all opinion? It’s not necessarily true?” This blew my world apart. I started looking at the world more critically. In fact, I denounced my faith and to this day I have not claimed one for my own. Now, when I explain this to people, I tell them, “I don’t believe in anything.” Immediately, my response is, so your atheist. No I am not. Oh so you are agnostic gotcha! No I am not. I am my own person, with my own beliefs and morals. Yes I do have some similar values that other religions hold, but I haven’t found one that I agree with completely.

When it comes to it, you should never feel pressured to be a part of a community you don’t agree with 100 percent. You don’t have to accept truths that are, well… not so true. Be real with yourself and determine what you think is right or wrong. When you find these answers for yourself and stop depending on outside influences, your spirit will thank you and you will be liberated from oppressive judgement. As always, I would love your feedback and even your opinion on the matter. If you ever have questions or comments me and Adam would love to share an open-minded and open-hearted conversation with you.

Peace!

Jordy

Chivalry

Welp, here we are. I can literally sit here all day and discuss the reality of chivalry. How it's changed and developed throughout history and how it exists within our lives today. And how pathetic and disrespectful men are nowadays. These days I am just happy to meet someone who takes care of his significant other. Real men have started dying out. How the majority of men treat women is a disgrace. My mother and sister have played a huge role in my outlook on women. I've seen the strength, love and bravery they are capable of and it fills my heart with pride. I have such respect for the women in my life. Throughout my life, I looked up to these women because of what they were capable of dealing with while still maintaining their love for their families and friends. I could not be more proud of my Mother and Sister. It is because of them that I see the value of chivalry. Anytime I would ever see or hear anything that threatened the integrity of my family I would snap. To this day, that is the only time I could justify causing another human being harm, besides out of self defense, of course. These women are a huge part of who I am, and I will love them dearly until the end of time for giving me such a strong heart. My sister is a very strong individual. I wouldn't call her a feminist, but she is. and I love her for that. However, we butt heads on certain issues. I am very old fashioned in my chivalrous ways and a large part of me wants to protect anyone that can't defend themselves. People who are physically weak and vulnerable. In no way am I sexist, I can't underline that enough. I do not think, by any means, that men are superior to women. But men, are physically and mentally meant to protect, take care of, and provide for their significant other. More and more I see men commit vicious crimes against women because they can. Because they are stronger. If we had more chivalrous men in this world, they would serve as protectors, as I do. If I ever saw someone, man or woman, getting mugged, beaten, or  violated, I would crash down upon those individuals like a hurricane. I have no patience or respect for anyone willing to take advantage of someone just because they are weak and can't defend themselves. I have studied the martial arts for a large part of my life and it is the most sacred form of knowledge that I have some understanding of. The heart of martial arts is to protect, defend and honor every living creature you come in contact with. We all have the power to take care of each other. I am not encouraging you to interfere with someone that is committing a crime, just be willing to take action if you can. Call 911 if you can't. Think about how you view women/men and see why you have the outlook/opinion about the opposite sex that you do. It'll help you understand why you act the way you do around the opposite sex. The better we treat each other, the better impact it's going to have in our world and in our lives. Every journey begins with a single step. I implore any man reading this to take a step towards being a better person and start respecting any woman you come into contact with and be real. Be who you are.

-Ace

Childhood

When I was a child, I remember always wanting to grow up. To be able to buy my own toys, have millions of dollars, no bed time, and spend everyday doing what I wanted. No school, no vegetables, nothing I didn't want. That is what I thought being an adult meant. No responsibilities. As I got older, I missed being a child. I missed being ignorant about certain things. The older I got, the more difficult life seemed to become. I told myself it was because I was focusing on bigger things now, bigger problems, and that with age came greater responsibilities. I believed that. Now that I am much older than I was in those days, I see now why my problems have become larger and more complex. It's not because of my age, it was because I knew so much more than I had when I was young. The more you learn, the more you think you know.

 The truth is is that we judge everything in our lives. Everything. We see a flower, and immediately look away, having seen a million flowers before. We see the sun, the stars at night, rainbows, thunderstorms, and we are no longer as impressed by life as we once were. We think we know what it is. Our brains tell us exactly what we're looking at, we classify it as something we know, and we discard the natural beauty and perfection of life. When you're a child, you have NO idea what things are, what we see, what we feel, or hear is overwhelming simply because we don't know what it is. And with that comes fascination and wonder. Everything is new and that's where the problem begins. We desperately attempt to know and understand everything around us, leaving no room for amazement or curiosity. No magic. We get used to our surroundings and we adapt to them. Once I realized this, I decided to turn over a new leaf in my views of the world. Literally. I began questioning everything I saw each day. I forced myself to recall every piece of information I had heard throughout my life, trying to find a new way to look at things. But I was quickly disappointed. I could see the beauty, but I didn't feel as connected to the Earth as I once had as a child. With that thought came a revelation. I couldn't see the beauty because I was trying way too hard to actually see something. I had expectations of what life would look like and when it didn't come out that way, I was so disappointed and ashamed that I was so blind. Could life really lose it's beauty like this? I once read a Buddhist quote that said; "To truly be happy, one must see through the eyes of a child." Before I hadn't really understood that quote, but I do now. A child has no expectations about life, about anything really. And that is what we must do. We must stop ourselves from judging everything we come in contact with. Leave some room in your day for amazement and wonder. Start small and work your way up. Hold a flower in your hand and meditate on the perfection of this living organism. Focus on the stars, but don't put constellations together. This isn't going to come out right, but pretend that you know absolutely nothing of what you're looking at. Don't try to figure anything out. Allow your curiosity to flow through your body. When you stop yourself from judging anything in this life, you allow yourself to be amazed, you allow yourself to find the beauty in every living thing on Earth. That alone is enough to bring someone happiness and joy.


-Ace

ADD/ADHD

So, as most of my friends will tell you, I have ADD and an insane amount of energy. This is a tough subject for me to discuss because I don't like talking about my problems. I would rather be talking about more positive things. My friend told me that his grandma used to tell him that a problem isn't really a problem if money can fix it and I have a hard time disagreeing, though I'm sure there are some cases that could change my view. To me, real problems are when it's a life or death situation. How we view problems in our lives is something we all need to reanalyze. We complain about everything. There is literally a meme called first world problems and I guarantee that the majority of people have said some of those scenarios before. Anyways, My parents had me tested when I was younger and decided not to put me on medication. Thankfully, I have the most incredible mother who has always looked out for my well being. Without pills, my only outlet for my ADD was physical activity. When I channel my energy into a certain activity I am a tornado. If you've seen the Looney Tunes Character the Tazzmanian Devil, you'll get the idea. I've noticed that I am the happiest when I am moving and the more I concentrate on slowing down, the better I seem to get at it. Any time I am required to sit still or read, I have a mental war with myself. I feel like I could implode at any moment and it has taken me years to be able to concentrate for hours at a time. Now, When I look at reading a book as a mental exercise and let my brain work out, I feel a lot more relaxed. Practicing meditation, yoga and tai chi has been a godsend for me. There are times when I have wondered how differently my life would be had my parents put me on medication. I know I would have academically succeeded far greater but thinking that I would be physically dependent on this drug to help me function isn't okay with me. I don't want to take or use anything to be who I am. The path I have chosen has been incredibly difficult. Before I had a handle on this I didn't know how to handle it. My heart goes out to any kid that has to deal with that, but I am so grateful that I overcame this obstacle. The tests we are put through in life are mind blowing. What we learn opens our minds and hearts to the beauty of life. I truly believe that we are already in heaven. Regardless of how hard my life might be, I am grateful just to be able to experience it. No matter where you are, you have the chance to be someone greater. There is always room for growth in this life. That is a good thing. Fear and pain are a part of life. Get used to them so that they can't slow you down. Push back. Inner peace is worth the effort.

-Ace